Los Angeles Angels Hit Seven Home Runs But Still Lose

It’s shaping up to be yet another baseball season where the Los Angeles Angels don’t fail to disappoint their fans. In their game against the Oakland Athletics on August 4th, Angels’ hitters smacked seven home runs. Normally, one would figure that would drive in enough runs to win the game. However, these are the L.A. Angels we’re talking about. All the home runs were solo shots, and they scored no other runs. Oakland had a six run third inning and a two run fourth and pulled out an 8-7 win.

Despite having MVPs Mike Trout (now on the injured list) and Shohei Ohtani, the Angels aren’t generating much offense. It takes more than two hitters, of course, to have a competitive club, and many of the Angel’s hitters are mired in mediocrity. L.A. is 25th in the majors in runs scored, 26th in batting average, and 27th in on base percentage. After a career year in 2019 with Washington, when he drove in a major league leading 126 RBIs, third baseman Anthony Rendon signed an enormous seven year, $245 million contract with the Angels. He had an OK Covid-19 shortened 2020, but has had two injury prone seasons since. He was limited to 58 games last year, and 45 this year. He’s out for the season after wrist surgery. First baseman Jared Walsh, who had a breakout year last year with 29 homers and 98 RBIs, has 14 and 42 this year through 99 games. Right fielder Taylor Ward hit five home runs in 14 games in April, and drove in 13 runs while hitting .392. He has 9 homers and 23 RBIs total since then.

L.A. started the season with a very promising 24-13 record, but has gone 20-48 since then. The Angels are 24 games behind the Houston Astros, who are running away with the A.L. West, but are also a dozen games out of the final Wild Card playoff slot. The standard joke about Mike Trout goes like this: Why did Mike Trout sign a long term contract with the Angels? He likes having Octobers off. Looks like he will again.